Eating with Hiccups: Tips & Tricks to Enjoy Your Meal

A case of the hiccups can be a frustrating and embarrassing situation, especially if you are at the dinner table trying to enjoy a meal. Hiccups occur when your diaphragm spasms, causing your throat to briefly close. Since hiccups usually occur in a timed pattern, you can try to use the pattern of your hiccups to help you eat, without having to worry that a sudden hiccup will cause you to spit up whatever food you are trying to chew and swallow.

Instructions

• 1

  Try a few quick remedies to see if you can't get rid of the hiccups prior to eating. Drinking water with your head upside-down, holding your breath for as long as you can stand, or eating some crackers or bread can help.

• 2

  Time how often you hiccup. Wait until you hiccup then count in seconds to see how long before your next hiccup. If you are having them quite frequently -- such as every ten seconds -- you should wait to try and eat. However, if you have a 30 second, or longer break you should be able to eat with minimal trouble.

• 3

  Wait until right after each hiccup to take a bite. Take small bites and chew thoroughly. Smaller bites and more concentrated chewing, will prevent you from eating fast, which can actually contribute to hiccups.

• 4

  Take a bite following each hiccup and follow it with a gulp of water, if you are able to. If not, interchange following each hiccup, between taking a bite and swallowing some water. If your hiccups clear up while you are eating, then dive in and enjoy your meal as you normally would.